A WORLD OF COLOUR

 

“That’s why I never became a prima donna. I came from a time when nothing was given to me. My philosophy was, never complain when things get tough – or tougher – just accept it, and keep going. Deal with what you have – good or bad – and find a way to make it work."
Tina Turner

Leaning on the end of the breakwater a man stares out to sea, watching the swimmers glide past; pigeons strut along the decking of the local café on the beach looking for a mate or a few left overs, snatches of conversation in different languages reveal the latest updates on how things are going for people at the moment. The calm deep turquoise sea reflects the beauty of the surroundings and the gazes of contentment shared between people show that as I have grown up believing, the best things in life are free. We can all enjoy them, but we need to get out of the mud, quit swimming in circles and start seeing the beauty, take our place in this life, we need to act now. 

My husband showed me a video of Maurizio Pollini, an incredible and unique pianist who deserves nothing but our respect. I sometimes have the feeling that so many people cannot wait for a well-known individual to slip up, to make a mistake or really put themselves in it, and I honestly cannot stand that attitude and I hope that our example can be different. A life of service to others, incredible work and sacrifice and endless giving, and judged on a moment when he was unwell during a concert, still playing beautifully in his 80s and actually admirably went on, and as my husband said, a hero really for keeping things going no matter the cost. Why can’t we celebrate it? Why can’t we quit moaning and grumbling about getting older, a real privilege as so many have lost their lives, quit complaining and fault finding about every little thing that happens and actually see the qualities of our family members and friends, even if we only have a few, places where we live, no matter the size or location, and special moments that we share, which will never come back. We may not be the richest people, the most talented, or the wittiest, but let’s start to look at the days that pass and use them in a way to feel happy at the end of each of them, not because of the volume of things that we have done, but because we have lived a life with values and purpose.

Tina Turner, a true legend with incredible talent and passion for her music and life, went through devastating battles with her abusive husband and unfair treatment growing up and by family members, she remained grateful for the things that really make a difference “Another time, I came home from a tour to an empty house. It was Christmas. I don’t remember where the boys were, but I was all alone. I lit the fireplace (I’ve loved fireplaces since I was a child), sat in the living room, and that was my holiday. There was one lone gift under the tree, a vase from the law firm (I still have it). I remember thinking it held the prettiest flowers I had ever seen, probably because it was my only Christmas present. But it was Okay. Every time I found myself in this kind of situation, I always accepted it. Instead of being depressed, I reminded myself that I was home and could take this opportunity to enjoy the quiet. It was my nature to be happy.” (Tina Turner The Autobiography: My Love Story.)  I know that we cannot always be all light and everything is wonderful, this just wouldn’t be real, but how much of our talk is productive? How much of our reliving and reliving past events to death, reanalysing every movement and decision, beating ourselves down by our own exasperation and seeing all the mistakes laying overhead is going to help us move forward?

There is a moment in everyone’s life when things go silent, when you look out onto that balcony in a busy city and everything stops, a parent has only got months to live and that is soon to become weeks… you’re about to take your big exams and life is just about to begin…Whatever the circumstances, we have all had something that hit us like a runaway car that refused to stop. Where is the beauty now? How do you react? Do you take it out on everyone, do you give up? or do you fight, fight to continue, refusing to be beaten and when the next things hit you and the cruel treatment begins again, do you become filled with hatred and bitterness and lose the kind person you really are? It may seem a cliché, but being a good person in spite of everything is not the easy way, but it is the happiest one. 

If we really want a world of bright , joyful colour we need to start being the ones doing the painting. Our outlook in the small things, our reluctance to get sucked into hatred and bitter talk about others, refusing to speak badly about a colleague, boss or family member, knowing which battles to choose and how to treat others with respect. There is a misconception that kindness leads to being trampled on. You can still be nice and have boundaries whilst seeing through the falseness, but it is important to go beyond it otherwise change in the world will never start.  None of us know how long we are here for, but we can make that time count and give generously in all that we do. 

“It takes courage to be kind.”

Maya Angelou